KBM Proudly Represents Melissa Schuman
Musician and actress Melissa Schuman filed a lawsuit stating she “is a survivor of sexual abuse, sexual battery, assault, and molestation at the hands of Defendant Nick Carter.” Schuman spoke out publicly about her assault in November of 2017, but due to the existing 10-year statute of limitations, it was too late for her to make a legal claim against her attacker. That changed when the California legislature passed the Sexual Abuse and Coverup Accountability Act which temporarily lifted the statute of limitations.
Schuman’s lawsuit states, “On January 1, 2023, the statute of limitation window for sexual assault claims made by adult survivors opened, which allows the Plaintiff for the first time in a decade to seek adjudication of her claims for sexual assault against Defendant in a court of law.”
The lawsuit provides specific details of the 2003 sexual assault, but it also describes a pattern of “online intimidation by Defendant Carter’s friends, associates and/or agents” which constituted “an organized attempt to intimidate, blame, harass and discredit Plaintiff and her allegations of sexual assault in the court of public opinion.” The lawsuit asserts that “Defendant Carter utilized his Wonderful Union’s fan engagement team to encourage Defendant Carter’s dedicated fan base to engage in internet intimidation in an effort to intimidate, blame, harass and discredit plaintiff online.”
The lawsuit also describes how Schuman was pressured into recording a “duet” with Carter which she was told “was being pitched for a movie soundtrack.” According to the lawsuit, Schuman recorded her portion of the “duet” independently from Carter. “The recording was never sold,” the lawsuit states. “When Plaintiff went public with her assaults by Defendant Carter, he used this song ‘collaboration’ as ‘evidence’ that he ‘was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally.’ Defendant Carter used this recording to generate the false impression that he and Plaintiff had a friendly relationship.”
The lawsuit also alleges that “… in anticipation of this lawsuit and with the intent to intimidate and blame Plaintiff for publicly exposing his sexual assault of her, defendant Carter sued Plaintiff. Two months after being sued for sexual assault by another survivor, Defendant Carter filed a lawsuit in response to the other survivor’s lawsuit, alleging a conspiracy theory that Plaintiff, her father, the other survivor and Defendant Carter’s deceased brother have conspired against him to extort money and gain fame.” In addition to Nickolas Gene Carter, the lawsuit names “Doe 1 through Doe 50.” The lawsuit states, “Plaintiff will amend the complaint to allege their true names and capacities when each have been ascertained.”
Attorney Karen Barth Menzies is on Schuman’s legal team. Menzies says, “Sexual predators do not act alone, they rely on a system of enablers that pressure victims and witnesses to keep silent about their crimes. An important aspect of California’s law is that it recognizes there is frequently a conspiracy to silence survivors and cover up sexual abuse, and the new law provides a path for survivors to hold all parties to account in a court of law.”
Schuman says she hopes her lawsuit will help other survivors find the courage to hold their abusers accountable. She says, “I’ve faced extraordinary backlash for standing up for myself; I am not the first, however my intention is that I am the last. It’s time that powerful figures in the music industry get the message that they can no longer afford to enable and protect sexual predators. I’m fighting to make the music industry a safer place to work and perform.”